Sources said that the government has decided to take all the political parties on board before drafting strategy over the latest allegations by the US that Pakistan was complicit with the Haqqani network responsible for last week’s attack on the US embassy and a Nato headquarters in Kabul.Express News 24/7 correspondent said that Gilani contacted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandayar Wali .
The prime minister also contacted Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Chaudhry Shujaat, Jamat-e-Islami’s head Syed Munwar Hassan and Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam – Fazal (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman.
Gilani is also likely to call Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan later in the day.
The Prime Minister discussed the latest political situation with the political leaders and took them into confidence regarding Pakistan’s stance over the United States’ accusations against the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
He has welcomed suggestions by the political leadership to strengthen Pakistan’s political position in this regard.
This week, US officials said there was mounting evidence that Pakistan’s powerful intelligence agency had encouraged a guerrilla network to attack US targets, while a Senate committee voted to make aid to Islamabad conditional on fighting the militants.
The Haqqani network is one of three, and perhaps the most feared, allied insurgent factions fighting US-led NATO and Afghan troops under the Taliban banner in Afghanistan.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he had pressed Pakistan’s army chief for Islamabad to break its links with the militant group.
Insurgents besieged the US embassy and Nato headquarters in Kabul with rocket and gunfire for 19 hours earlier this month, leaving 15 people dead and turning the most secure district of the Afghan capital into a battle zone.
Gilani said given the sacrifices made by Pakistani security forces and citizens the “propaganda blitz against Pakistan is indeed most unfortunate”.
“It vitiates the atmosphere and is counter-productive. It tends to ignore the sacrifices by the people of Pakistan and negates all that we have endeavoured to achieve over the last so many years,” he said.
More then 35,000 Pakistanis have been killed in the fight against terrorism and many more injured, Gilani said, adding that the US was well aware of the arrests and killings of a large number of al Qaeda operatives by Pakistan.
